EASTERN PROVINCE BUGESERA—A report released by the Millennium Villages Project last week has revealed that atleast 93 percent of residents in Mayange Sector can not easily afford food by themselves. The Survey done by Millennium Villages Project indicates that some residents have to sell off their domestic material to afford food. “People are already experiencing difficulties in affording their food. Majority of the residents have reported a change in their eating habits including eating lesser quantities of food and fewer meals per day,” the report states in part. The survey was conducted after the harvesting season at the end of August to assess the current and future trend of food security in the two sectors. Millennium Villages Project chose Mayange sector as a cases study in Rwanda. The report attributes also indicates that in the recent past there has been a shortage of food. It also indicates that the shortage would increase in October and November. The Bugesera district Mayor Gaspard Musonera acknowledged the shortages as true. “Yes, we are aware of the food shortages among our people due to the maize streak virus that affected the crop yields” he said at his office, adding that other sectors of the district were not affected. He however said food aid apparently was not required but the affected families would be bailed out at an opportune time. Musonera explained that he had talked over the matter with the coordinator of the millennium villages projects in Rwanda Donald Ndahiro and agreed that vulnerable families would be enrolled to benefit from the arrangement of ‘food for work’ a programme of the United Nations World food programme, when the shortages become acute. Under the arrangement, residents are employed in different activities in the community and paid food rations ranging from maize, beans and cooking oil. In her recent visit to Rwanda, Rico Susana, the regional director of the world food programme reiterated the organisation’s commitment to the food for work arrangement. Recent information from world food programme indicated that 175,000 farmers were projected to benefit from the arrangement in the country, a move reiterated by the WFP director for East and central Africa Susana Rico while visiting the district last week. Ends
